2013-14 Bruins Player Preview: Tuukka Rask

Leading up to the start of the season, New England Hockey
Journal will be taking a look ahead to 2013-14 with a series of
Bruins player previews throughout September. Today, we're
looking at the year ahead for the B's starting goaltender, Tuukka
Rask, who signed an eight-year, $56-million contract this past
offseason.

TUUKKA RASK | #40 | Goaltender

HEIGHT: 6-foot-3 WEIGHT: 185 SHOOTS: Right

BORN: March 10, 1987 – Savonlinna,
Finland

DRAFT: 2005 – 1st round
(21st Overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2020-21
($7 million cap hit)

2012-13 STATISTICS: 19-10-5, 2.00 GAA,
.929 Sv%, 5 shutouts

LOOKING BACK ON 2013

After a dominant stint overseas with HC Plzen during the lockout,
Rask returned to Boston set on proving to the entire hockey world
he made the right decision signing a one-year, "show-me" contract
with the Bruins. With a quick glance at his numbers above, it's
clear that the Finnish backstop shined in his first season as the
B's go-to goalie.

While there were certainly a few hiccups along the way,
"highlighted" by the Bruins' uncharacteristic penchant for coughing
up third-period leads, Rask ultimately finished the campaign ranked
among the game's top netminders in every meaningful category. What
mattered most, however, was his ability to rise to the occasion
come playoff time.

Rask backstopped the Black and Gold to within two victories of
their second championship in three years, posting Tim Thomas-like
numbers with a 1.88 goals-against average and .940 save percentage
in 22 postseason tilts. He was simply spectacular in the conference
finals, limiting the high-flying Penguins to just two goals in a
four-game sweep.

FIVE FACTS

1. Rask was acquired in a June 2006 trade
that sent Andrew Raycroft from Boston to Toronto.

2. Only one goaltender was drafted ahead
of Rask in 2005: Carey Price (Montreal, fifth overall).

3. Rask is 2-8-2 lifetime against
Montreal, his most regulation losses against one opponent.

4. On the flip side, Rask is 8-1-0 with a
.949 save percentage against the team that drafted him:
Toronto.

5. Rask ranks second in NHL history with a
career .930 save percentage in the playoffs. Tim Thomas is first at
.933.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2013-14

After years of waiting in the wings as Thomas' backup, Rask proved
once and for all he truly has the stuff to lead the B's to the big
stage, even though he fell agonizingly short of capturing the
Stanley Cup. Now, the challenge will be proving he can do it again
on the heels of a full 82-game slate.

The lanky netminder remained healthy for the entirety of the
2013 campaign, making 34 starts in the regular season and another
22 in the playoffs. Add it up and you've got a total of 56 starts
for Rask, narrowly trumping the 52 he made in 2009-10 and the
ensuing postseason. Sandwiched in between those two aforementioned
seasons were a few injury scares, with Rask undergoing a minor knee
procedure in 2011 and spending time on the sidelines with a groin
injury in 2012.

If all goes according to plan, No. 40 will be tasked with his
biggest workload to date. With one of Niklas Svedberg or Chad
Johnson slated to be this year's backup, the B's will benefit
greatly from one of the two being able to replicate Anton
Khudobin's performance from a season ago. Khudobin departed for
Carolina as an unrestricted free agent after going 9-4-0 with a
2.32 goals-against average for the Bruins in his lone full NHL
season to date.

Should Boston's No. 2 netminder be able to hold the fort down
once every 4-5 games, Rask should certainly be able to maintain a
high level of play throughout the year.

PREDICTION FOR 2013-14

While it's not exactly lunacy to have some concerns about how
Rask will perform as the top goalie on the depth chart during a
legitimate NHL season -- not to mention the first year of an
eight-year contract that makes him the highest-paid goalie ($7
million annually) in the league -- last year's superb postseason
performance quashed the ultimate question mark hovering over him,
and there's no reason to think he'll do anything but pick up right
where he left off. Don't be surprised if the Bruins' backstop is
among the Vezina Trophy finalists when all's said and done.